US Attorney's Office and UND Law School Announce Expansion of Federal Court Externship ProgramPosted on 6/5/2013

New Externship with U.S. Attorney's Office will focus on Tribal Prosecution

Bismarck, ND (June 4, 2013): North Dakota United States Attorney Timothy Purdon and University of North Dakota School of Law Dean Kathryn Rand have announced the expansion of the North Dakota United States Attorney's Office Summer Externship program to include and additional Extern from the UND School of Law who will focus on assisting in the prosecution of crimes on the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. The Externship Program's first Tribal Prosecutor Extern is Rachel Egstad. Egstad has just completed her first year at UND School of Law. Egstad will work this summer in both Bismarck with the United States Attorney's Office and in Ft. Yates with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Prosecutor's Office.

"The expansion of the externship program to include a tribal prosecution extern is an exciting development for the U.S. Attorney's Office, UND School of Law and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe," said Unites States Attorney Purdon. "Ms. Egstad will get the valuable opportunity to observe tribal prosecution first hand at Standing Rock by working with both Assistant U.S. Attorneys from our Bismarck Office and with the tribal prosecutors in Ft. Yates. We are grateful to Dean Rand and our partners at UND Law School for their willingness to support this program which combines a unique opportunity for student learning with additional resources to support the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Prosecutors.

"The opportunity to add an externship to support the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is invaluable to all of us at the law school," said Rand. "Not only will it provide a unique experience for students in gaining first-hand practical knowledge of the tribal judicial system, it allows the UND School of Law to further its mission of creating practice ready graduates who make a positive difference in the lives of North Dakota's citizens."

"Additional resources to help improve public safety on the reservation are always welcome and we look forward to working with Ms. Egstad this summer," said Grant Walker, Special Assistant United States Attorney and Chief Prosecutor for the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

"When I saw the posting for this externship, I knew it was a perfect match for me because one of my primary interests is Indian Country and I thought this would be an amazing opportunity to gain insight and experience not only within the federal court system, but also in the tribal court system," said Egstad. "I am looking forward to gaining courtroom experience -- especially in tribal court."

Tribal Prosecution Extern Egstad will join three other UND Law Students, Quinn Hochhalter, Jessica Rydell and Magdaleno Gutierrez, as Summer Externs in the North Dakota United States Attorney's Office. The Externship program dates back several years and is part of a larger program between UND Law School and the stakeholders in the Federal Court system in North Dakota. Other UND Law Students will extern this summer with the United States' Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, the United States' District Court in Fargo and Bismarck, the United States Bankruptcy Court, and the Federal Public Defender's Office. These unpaid Externs work 150 hours during the summer and gain academic credit at UND School of Law for their service as externs.

Contact:Rob CarolinDirector, Alumni & Public RelationsUniversity of North Dakota School of Law701.777.2856rob.carolin@UND.eduwww.law.UND.edu